


Hazard of the Job

by Raven2547



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Derogatory Language, Everybody Lives, Hand-wavy medicine, M/M, Sickfic, faraday calls red pocahontas, or is alive?, the relationships are mostly implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 07:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8614939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven2547/pseuds/Raven2547
Summary: A job leaves Faraday feeling less than pleasant. Everyone else is just a bit concerned.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Two Thousand Little Kisses](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8446309) by [ThrillingDetectiveTales](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThrillingDetectiveTales/pseuds/ThrillingDetectiveTales). 



As he's thumping down the metal stairs, he feels fine. Really, there's nothing wrong with him right now than any other day--which is to say, a slight hangover and some seasonal allergies. It's when he reaches the bottom of the stairs, four flights down from where he started and on the tail of a bomb he's got rigged to blow in about five minutes, some smoke and a bit of sulfur already floating in the air, that his problems start. You see, at this point in time at the bottom of those metal stairs Joshua Faraday was hit in the chest with the butt of a rifle. 

Now, he's not one to complain (too much), but the non-business end of rifle isn't usually anyone's friend--especially if it's meeting any part of your body on somebody else's terms--and he's no exception. Faraday's not ashamed to say he took a big gulp of that shitty air and then choked on it as he fell on his back and took another shot to the chest and one to the face that knocked him flat out for a couple seconds. When he comes back, Red is standing over him and giving the Irishman the evil eye for ruining his body guard streak. Faraday gives him a stupid, punch drunk smile, "Hey, Pocahontas, wanna help me up?" 

Red turns around and, stepping over the now very still attacker, takes his own rifle and knocks the lock off the inside of the door, letting in a cool rush of air and taking a little more of that sulfuric stench with it. Red himself takes a deep breath and turns towards him, "Have you been breathing?"

"Usually," Josh says, sitting up, "but I might take a break if you want," he grabs his pistol off the ground where it had fallen and dusts off the inscribed /Ethel/ on the bottom. He takes another gulping breath just to get Red to make that pinched face he gets when Faraday does something particularly heinous. Sadly, the native just rolls his eyes, takes him by the back of the shirt, and pulls him bodily out of the room. 

"Two minutes," He says, and almost on cue the SUV shows up with Billy at the wheel. He gives both of them the side-eye for being late and the back doors open. Both of them get in, Faraday noting that the only other person in the car is the other lovebug, Goodnight, and their wayward associates are nowhere to be found.

"Where're the others?" he /doesn't/ slur. He's very sure he did not slur. Goodnight gives him a concerned look anyway, but that might be because of the obvious bruise blossoming on his cheek that he can now see in the mirror. It's quite nice, really, all over the corner of his eye and everything, only a light yellow right now and shit, maybe that guy didn't even hit him that hard because it's looking like it will only darken to a green or a very light blue. Very handsome. 

"We not good enough for you, sunshine?" Goodnight drawls in that lazy way of his. He's still a little bummed about being in the getaway car with Billy, then, even though Faraday knows they probably spent the whole time making out or some shit. "Chisolm needed Jack for some heavy lifting, and apparently your boy decided to go along for another body guard detail. They got out just before you started the countdown. We're supposed to meet them at the third overpass on the interstate headed north of here." 

What he doesn't say, and what Faraday takes from that, is that Chisolm found something he wanted and Vasquez didn't want to be left behind with the lovebirds. Josh can't say he blames him. He reaches past Red into the seat pocket and grabs the first aid kit, popping two of the prescription painkillers and pushing it back into place. His head is already pounding, but a hit to the noggin will do that to a man. As they peel up the road and get a little ways away, the ground shakes a little and he laughs a bit because he maybe put more firepower than he should have in that last charge. 

Billy puts the radio on some shitty country music and Goody sings along, so Josh and Red both roll their eyes at each other and sit back in their seats. When they reach the overpass Chisolm will have them change their license plates and maybe switch out the car with Teddy or Emma along the way. Sighing, Faraday settled back in the chair and prepared for a long way home.

\-----------------

Day two, or as Josh is coming to know it as, The Day Everything Went South, begins with a loud groan as something relatively soft thumps his chest. When he opens his eyes and sees it was only a shirt he knows he's fucked. Vasquez is already looking at him with that pinched face he and Red sometimes switch. The victory sex last night was exhausting--they were lucky they had it in the shower to save time--and apparently the bruise on his chest hadn't come out like the one on his face because everyone is surprised by this one. Eddie reaches down and lifts Faraday's tank top up to his neck and breathes in sharply through his nose at the huge blotches of blue and purple over Faraday's sternum. 

"Christ, guerro, you were only in the building for fifteen minutes. What happened?" the Mexican's hand runs over the bruise softly, but Josh still hisses at the slightest pressure. 

"It's fine--got to the bottom of the stairs for the last charge and some guy got the jump on me. I thought he only clocked me twice, though, so it's a surprise for both of us," Josh says, rolling over and huffing out all the breath in his lungs. He won't admit it, but he feels slightly terrible. The bruise is making it hard to breathe enough as it is, but something about that smoky air last night must've clogged up his airway a bit because his nose isn't stuffed but he just can't get enough air. He lays still for a few seconds longer, feigning sleep, then Eddie is pushing his shoulder back and flipping him over again so he almost falls off the bed. Faraday groans and finally gets up, glancing at the clock. It's hardly past eleven.

"Why are we up so early?" He says to be contrary, even though he knows they have a meeting with Sam in almost an hour. He steps over the pile of clothing on the floor, mostly his but a bit of Vasquez's as well, and into the bathroom. Maybe the steam will clear his throat a bit. He coughs to get a bit of that congestion to go away. It doesn't. 

"You know why, and after the meeting we're going to get Jack to take a look at you," Vasquez says it so matter-of-factly that Faraday just rolls his eyes and nods, shutting the door. He'll wiggle out of that appointment later, assuming they get a car all to themselves. If not, well, Jack may be their own personal field medic but you can't do much for bruises. He's positive nothing is broken or even cracked, he knows what those feel like. The chump must've wasted all his might on his chest and just spared his beautiful face. 

"Whatever," he yells through the door, stepping in to the hot water. It burns his back a bit but that's fine. He can't stand cold water. He served in the military, and he did spend his fair share of time running around backwater villages all over Asia and Europe. He could go his whole life without having to bathe in a river again and it still would be too soon. You still can't get him to put his head underneath a wave of water to this day, and if it's cold? Forget about it. 

When he's done showering he finds his button up collared shirt and some jeans. The shirt still smells clean and the jeans do too even though they have more than a few spots where wet gunpowder has turned into a paste and ground in. He doesn't smoke in these pants. He needs a new pair, really, because all the explosives he handles day after day are starting to take a toll on his wardrobe. 

His socks go on and the shoes eventually are found. Putting them on is another story because it's a trial just bending down. He pants through it, choking on the air as he forces it down his throat. When he finally gets them on Vasquez is standing in the doorway with a distinctly unimpressed look on his face. Faraday grins at him and stands, stomping over to him and giving him a loud lipsmack on the cheek.

"Let's get this show on the road, Texican," He says, dodging the fist that comes flying at his hip.

\-----------------

"Yeah that's a doozy," Horne says, running his hand over the darkest patch of bruises right in the center of Faraday's chest. Eddie is standing smugly behind him as Faraday holds his button up open for perusal. Red is sitting at the table with Chisolm, both of them wincing a little at the large injury. Billy and Goody are standing to the side, Billy almost smiling at the display as Goodnight hisses in sympathy and winces at all the right moments. Bastards, all of them. 

"You havin' any trouble breathin', boy?" Horne drawls, looking up at him with a knowing gaze like he can tell when Joshua Faraday is bullshitting. Bullshit--nobody can tell when the Gamblin' Man is bluffing. 

"Si, amigo, he could barely put on his shoes this morning," Vasquez grins at him all sharp when Faraday glares at him, his mouth still open ready to answer the question. Josh mouths at him 'you die today' and Eddie just shakes his head and rolls his eyes. 

"Well that's to be expected," Jack says in his high voice, "Probably gave your lungs a good wakeup, huh?" he laughed a little and gestured for Faraday to fix his shirt, which he did even though he grumbled about it, "Nothing to do, really, just wait for it to heal up. We don't have a job for... what is it now, Mr. Chisolm?" 

"Almost a month until the next mission. We're on surveillance and recon for three weeks until then. Emma's got us another security detail if you guys want to make some extra money until then," Sam says, tossing the folder on the table. Billy takes a look at it and nods at Goody. They scoop it up and Billy points at Red.

"Need a computer guy, you in? We can do all the manual labor if you do the software bullshit," Goodnight says reasonably as Billy quietly nods at him. Those three start hammering out the details as Vasquez helps Josh stand upright. As soon as both of them had stepped into the hideout Red had squealed on Faraday passing out on the floor like a damsel. Though everyone had laughed at his expense and he'd taken it as gracefully as he could (read: not at all) there were quite a few concerned looks passed around when he revealed the huge bruise on his chest originally. Enough concern that they'd set aside the debrief meeting in favor of watching him get a checkup.

"Ok, disregarding Faraday's wonderful new body mods," Chisolm begins, kicking a chair out for Goody when he steps close enough, "Let's get our business over and done with, shall we?"

The debriefs always go something like this: everyone sits down, Sam says what they were supposed to do, and everyone says what actually happened. Emma had given them the mission almost two months ago. A small time ex-military group, not unlike their own, but instead of doing mercenary jobs they were going all up and down the California coastline and robbing people. Their facility was in the eastern part of Arizona, which was good because everyone hated a twelve hour car ride. The goal was to disable their bunker and perhaps turn them into the police. 

Here's what happened: Red and Faraday got out of the car, leaving Billy and Goody inside, where their role ended. The two went around the perimeter, Red keeping guard as Faraday laid a charge and some line connecting them every 50 meters or so, then they went inside and did the same thing to the sub-basement and four floors where Faraday put the final one and started it counting down from five minutes. He and Red got out after a short altercation that ended in one of the fourteen henchmen dead. 

Meanwhile, Chisolm had found a computer stockpile with very useful information for their free-agent Emma, but the catch was that it was inside a safe and he hadn't had time to tell Faraday to cool it with the explosives... so he got Jack and Vasquez to help him get it out and they got out of dodge. 

As Faraday is listening to Sam list all the information he found inside the safe, he takes a deep breath and has to push a fist into his chest. The sudden, flaring bright pain makes him cough in surprise, and once he starts he finds he can't stop. It feels like forever, and he's positive he's going to pass out before he finally stops coughing. He opens his eyes to the floor, bent over his knees with Eddie's hand pounding on his back. His hands are shaking and he runs one through his suddenly sweaty hair. His head hurts, though he thinks that can be traced to the lack of air he's experiencing. He tunes back into the conversation a few seconds later.

"-aday, are you in there? Vasquez make him sit up for me," Horne orders, pulling the chair back as Vasquez pushes Josh's shoulders back into the chair. Faraday doesn't move, just lets his head lay back on the neck of the chair as he pants for breath still. He can feel everyone's eyes on him. Jack makes him sit up straight and shines a light in his eye, which shouldn't hurt that much but it does anyway. 

"Headache?" Horne asks, and Faraday nods even though it feels clumsy and he thinks there is a strong correlation to himself and a chicken's head right now the way he's bobbing with almost no control. His hands haven't stopped shaking yet, and at this point he's getting a bit concerned. Clearly Eddie is too because he grabs one and holds onto it, rubbing some heat into it even though Josh is pretty sure the chills are all in his head. He feels another cough coming up and uses his other hand to block his mouth. This one only lasts a small eternity. 

"Joshua," Jack says when he's done, holding his chin and looking him in the eye, "Can you tell me what we were talking about just now before you started hackin' up a lung?"

And the thing is, Faraday can totally tell you most things they talk about at these meeting just because he's been to so many. He could bullshit his way through anything--and he was pretty sure he had been paying attention just now, besides. But... he kind of can't remember, which is weird. 

"I don't--I don't know. I was listening, though, I just don't remember," He says finally, and Jack nods decisively, taking a last, lingering look at Josh's done-up shirt and the bruise underneath. He turns to Vasquez and digs around in his pocket, handing him the key to the jeep outside.

"Take him to Sacred Heart on the East side, I'll call ahead for our doctor. I don't like that at all," Jack says, pushing himself off the table. When Faraday looks back everyone is eyeing him with a well of concern in their eyes--even Billy and Red. He must look like total shit. Eddie pulls him up and pushes him to the door with a hand in his back, neither of them say a word as he rushes both of them out the door and to the car. 

He wakes up and they're still in the car. Vasquez is muttering darkly at the cars to the front and sides of them at a red light, his hand an iron band around Faraday's knee. Josh pats his hand comfortingly, humming in agreement to all the insults. He's not really sure why Vas is mad, but he'll be mad with him. Eddie turns to him and lets a breath out through his mouth, leaning over and putting his forehead against Faraday's.

"There you are, guerrido. You've been out for almost fifteen minutes," he sounds dreadful, very worried. Josh 'hmms' at him and leans into the hand placed on his face, almost nodding off again except he gets a small slap for his trouble. 

"Stay awake, cowboy. The old man will kill me if something happens to you," the Mexican laughs but it's a thin thing, a little hysterical if Faraday's being honest. He sits up anyway and tries to look alert, but probably only looks pitiful. The light finally goes green and Vasquez is pushing the accelerator almost to the floor, pulling to the right and off into the hospital's emergency entrance. Faraday hears the car door slam and has enough time to think, 'finally, some peace and quiet' before he's roughly unbuckled and pulled out to stand on his unsteady feet. Eddie's arm wraps around his waist to hold him up even as Faraday takes a weak swing at him.

"Easy, cariño, it's just me," Vasquez says into his ear as he hauls him into the ER. There's some fumbling and a few minutes later he is slammed on a bed, a penlight in his eye and a cold circle pressed to his chest. He goes to sleep again. 

_________________

It's dim. Not the bright, white light he's seen before when he's been in the hospital but not the darkness of the nighttime in a hospital either. He cants his head around, pulling on a tube nestled in his nose. It stays in, but he can't hardly look around so he reaches up to mess with it. His hand is grabbed and forced down to the bedspread, but his other trusty fist comes up ready to lay somebody out--and it's caught too. He opens his eyes, not sure when he closed them, and looks up at Jack standing over him, saying something, "--not to mess with that thing, boy."

Faraday pushes his head back into the pillow to get a wider field of view, catching Jack's face staring down at him and still talking, holding his wrist gently down on the bed, and then Eddie's wild face a little closer. Eddie's holding his other hand down, balled into a fist. 

"Did I hit you?" He asks maybe a bit too loudly, wincing as it bounces off the walls a bit. Vasquez looks surprised to be spoken to, glancing at Jack, the older man looks pleasantly surprised too. 

"You awake, boy?" Jack says, leaning down into Faraday's space and trying to make eye contact, "Lucid for once in your damn fool life?" 

"Get offa me 'fore I bite your face clean off your face, geezer," Faraday rasps out, clicking his teeth threateningly. Jack lets out a high pitched little laugh that bleeds relief all through the room. When he leans back Josh can see the others sitting up in their chairs in varying states of cleanliness. 

"Ah, the Lord has returned you to the land of the living, Joshua. We are all mighty pleased to see you with us once again," Jack goes to get the doctor, letting everyone get a good look at the apparently no-longer-dead Joshua Faraday. Billy and Red stay sitting, but Chisolm and Goody stand up, the dark skinned man coming to take Horne's place by his side and clapping him on the shoulder. Goody takes his ankle in hand and gives his foot a shake.

"How you feelin' there, rookie?" Chisolm says, looking over at Vasquez who hasn't looked away from Josh's face since the Irishman talked to him. Vasquez releases the captive fist and hooks his hand around Faraday's jaw and ear, running his fingers through the light brown hair at the nape of Faraday's neck. Josh lets his eyes close again and startles awake when he's pinched. His eyes pop back open and he looks down to find Billy giving his leg a nice little jab with one of his knives.

"Those things'll kill a man, damn it, Billy," Faraday says, kicking his foot out to knock the Asian man's hand away. Billy grins at him and returns to his seat, Goody hip checking him on the way past. 

"Answer the question, guerro," Vasquez says, eyes steady on his paler partner. Faraday takes a minute to consider what exactly the question /was/.

"I've been better," he says truthfully, then wrinkles his nose at the truth that just spewed out of his mouth. The others laugh at him, breaking the remaining tension. 

"What the hell've they put in me to make me tell the truth?" Faraday says loudly, reaching up to fiddle with the annoying cannula hanging out of his face. His hands are smacked down again, this time by Chisolm and Vasquez. He huffs and leaves his hands on the bedspread as the door opens and a young man with dark hair comes in. 

"Hello there, Mr. ... Day," Josh snorts at the weird fake name, sending himself into a tired coughing fit that everyone tensely waits to subside, "it looks like the cough is finally going away," he continues, "and I'm assuming I'll have to tell you what brought you here in the first place?" 

Josh nods, letting his head fall back against the bed again. Vasquez has stopped scratching his scalp and has now resorted to petting him like a cat--but he can't say he's complaining. The doctor makes a 'hmm' noise and scribbles something on the chart at the end of the bed.

"Alright, well you've been here three days," Josh's eyes snap back open and focus as well as they can on the doctor, "and you were exhibiting a slight fever, a nice cough, apparently a headache, fatigue, and shortness of breath, right... other Mr. Day?" He directs his question to Vasquez, and the connection makes Faraday laugh a little because /ha/ Eddie always joked about Joshua having to drug him to get the Mexican to marry him.

"Si," Vasquez says shortly, a bit impatiently.

"Yes, and your friend over there told us you recently became well acquainted with a baseball bat at the cages the other day and this resulted in some heavy bruising on your chest cavity. What we've found is that you seem to have contracted a case of pneumonia from the trauma delivered to your lungs from the beating as well as a bit of a chemical element from the damage I saw on the X-ray we had done. You'll be in here another day or two until I feel good about sending you home, but otherwise you should be just fine," he finishes, and Faraday was already nodding off but he felt everyone else let out a sigh of relief on his behalf. 

They, the doctor and the others, talked for a little while longer but Josh didn't bother to listen because he was getting petted. He startled again when the door to the room shut with a click, the lights dimmed down. Thinking he was all alone he started to sit up, but someone pushed him back down. Josh listened hard and heard a zipper and the sound of jeans being folded, then he was pushed a little to the side as Vasquez crammed himself into the bed, careful of the oxygen. 

"Go back to sleep, cariño. We will go home tomorrow," the taller man wrapped his arms around Faraday's slightly shorter form, helping him turn to put his face down on Eddie's shoulder as they settled down to sleep in the sterile sheets.

**Author's Note:**

> all translations are done in google translate, so take them with a grain of salt.  
> all medical crap is from webmd and other cursory google searches--I am not a doctor nor do i have any knowledge of much of anything outside of history.


End file.
